P90X3 Nutrition Guide

If you are starting P90X3 soon, be sure to follow the P90X3 Nutrition Guide correctly! In this post I’ll guide you through the TWO steps to get started right with the P90X3 nutrition plan.

Luckily, the P90X3 nutrition guide is simple and to the point. This is good considering most people HATE the idea of nutrition. Keep in mind however, if you skip the nutrition guide, you might as well throw P90X3 away. The nutrition guide is an integral puzzle piece to the big picture.

As always, if you have questions about the P90X3 nutrition guide, comment below and let’s chat!

P90X3 Nutrition Guide – Step 1 – Find out Your Plan!

In the guidebook that comes with the program, this is the first step! You need to figure out how you need to eat. Use my handy calculator below to see which plan you need to follow. After you fill out the form, look below to see your guide depending on the plan that fits You!

Be sure to fill out this form exactly as the instructions mention to ensure you get the accurate plan calculated. Click inside the Gray boxes to fill out each question:

Got your plan calculated? Great! Check out this guide below to see how many calories, protein, carbs, and fat you need each day:

HOLY CALORIES BATMAN!!

Don’t worry, there is a reason for the added calories, protein, carbs, and fat in most plans. In fact, here is an interesting point: P90X3 took more time and research to develop than P90X AND P90X2 combined! Just check the test group results. This integral part of the plan is key if you want results. Follow it to a “T”. Don’t worry about the P90X Fat Shredder Diet, or the INSANITY elite nutrition guide (or any other nutrition plan). Follow the proven course on this one. If you want to read more, see my post on the P90X3 Diet Plan.

P90X3 Nutrition Guide – Step 2 – Make Life Easy and Track IT!

Intuitive eating may work for some, but it’s tough. If you want to get a ballpark idea of how you’re doing: Track IT! Even though we can’t know every single macro-nutrient in everything we eat, we can at least have a guide.

You can literally plug in the suggested plans listed above into MyFitnessPal. Then, throughout your day, you can track everything you eat! There is an app, and an internet version. The absolutely best part is that it is 100% FREE!

So now the next step for the P90X3 Nutrition Guide is: Take your Plan above and click here: How to Use MyFitnessPal. Oh, and be sure to add me (Coach Bob)! My screen name is CoolRunLT.

P90X3 Nutrition Guide General Guidelines

So after you follow the two steps above, here are some other important General Guidelines to never forget.

X3 Hydration Schedule (Water): Drink 8-12 oz. of water 15-30 minutes prior to exercise. Drink 4-8 oz. of water every 15 minutes during exercise. Then, throughout your day, drink your body weight in ounces. This is done by taking your current weight in half. (172 pounds = 172/2 = 86 ounces of water per day). Want a special secret? Drink 8-12 oz immediately in the morning before you drink or eat anything else!

SIMPLICITY: Just plug and play, literally. Don’t stress out about what to eat, just eat! Just keep in mind that if you have bad processed food, fat will happen immediately. Cut the Cola and cookies and eat well.

Meet Your Macros: At the end of the day, if you still have carbs and calories left in your MyFitnessPal bank, get excited! Have a banana, apple, or something good! Have Shakeology, whatever you can fit into your daily plan. Just don’t go for that cake and you’ll be fine.

Adjust for Victory Week: Stay the course with the numbers and guide listed above for your P90X3 journey. Once (and ONLY once) you reach Victory Week (aka the last week of P90X3), things change. Check out the P90X3 Victory Week post to be prepared (and get excited!).

I hope you found this post on P90X3 Nutrition Guide helpful. If something still makes no sense, or you have questions, comment below and let’s chat! Be sure to also get your Free Team Beachbody account. I’d love to have you on our team and help support your goals with P90X3 and all health and fitness.

@Bibi Great question! I actually suggest checking out my 60 day results page, and most importantly scroll to the video I have on the page, and jump to 3:36 in. I show some of the test group and their progression photos as I had the same concern you did! That way you can use their results as an anchor to see if you are on track or need any adjustment (keep in mind if you are starting at a higher body fat it may take a bit longer, but that is OK as you'll get to where you need to be in time!). The fact that your clothes are fitting better is a BIG deal and you should be very proud!

Hi I'm doing the p90x3 routine and following the meal plan too and tracking my progress on myfitnesspal. My calorie intake is usually in check but I exceed my carbs intake and it's difficult for me to reach the protein intake of the day. Any suggestions on how to cut down on the carbs and increase my protein? I'm a vegetarian and don't eat eggs. I try eating soya and beans as much as possible. Also any protein supplement that you would recommend that I should take?

@Pinka2013 Thanks for stopping by! Sometimes with vegetarians the carbs can be a bit high, but if those carbs are primarily vegetables that can be a definite benefit. I have found tofu to be a good option for some added protein as well. One good protein supplement that may help adjust your macros to where you are aiming for is MRM Veggie Elite (protein shake). It has decent ingredients and they are all vegetarian-based, but better yet it packs 24g of protein per serving which is great!

Hey Bob, I'm thinking of doing the T25 gamma workout. Although there is two calendars, which one should I follow? One is pure gamma and the other one is pure strength hybrid . Which one would be best for me to lose that little bit of fat but also gain muscle definition as well as increase in strength for weight lifting in the future.

@juanmendez I'd recommend the pure strength hybrid with the idea that you'll be weight lifting in the future. This will serve you well for fat loss because, as the old saying goes, "muscle helps burn fat". Just be sure to keep yourself on a slight calorie deficit of around 500-800 calories per day from your maintenance level (see: http://sweetlifefitness.net/calorie-deficit-for-weight-loss/)

That way you can keep your strength up (keep in mind the deficit won't make you feel like superman, and that is normal since you are aiming to cut body fat).

Hi, I was wondering what meal plan AND schedule I should follow for P90X3 to build muscle but lose body fat at the same time. I'm not necessarily trying to lose weight, I just want to gain alot of muscle (almost the same like weight lifting) but be toned. I am 5'7 and 140 lbs. I lost 30 lbs doing T25. Also with addition to starting T25, I lost alot of muscle and can't lift as heavy as i was at 170 lbs. That is why i want to build muscle, still look ripped but stay between or 150-160 but less than 165 lbs. What schedule should i follow? Or should I start with classic and when i finish, start lifting weights? Thanks in advance!

Side Note: Would you recommend lifting weights at the gym and P90X3/T25 same day. So like doing two workouts.

I lost alot of body fat but i still cant see my abs. What should my calorie intake be if im at 145lbs trying to tone out and gain muscle mass. Can i still lift weights at the gym before or after doing p90x3? Or should i stick to p90x3 focused

@juanmendez You honestly could do either one, but I will say that the first step is to measure your body fat. You can get a body fat caliper for very cheap (around $10 at most stores). See where you land. This was an issue I had...I originally was 14% body fat, and once I started getting to 12% the top abs showed up, then 10% most the entire 6 pack was visible).

@juanmendez thanks for stopping by! The first step is determining your body fat. How much body fat percentage do you have? This is crucial to figure out if your goal is to first burn down body fat to tone, or to purely scale up on mass muscle building.

In that case, following the nutrition guide alongside of P90X3 can help you get results either way, but if you are around 12-20%+ body fat, I'd recommend doing X3 to lose body fat first, but if you are already at 10% or lower (meaning you see your abs decently well), then it's mass building time and I can share some of the tips to do that with X3.

Hi, I have completed the P90X3 challenge and although I do not look like the guys on the video my wife and I do notice a big difference in my body. I have definitely improved a lot. My question is, what now? I do want to look ripped like the guys in the video and I know its going to take some extra work, should I do another round of P90X3? Or is there another program you recommend? Thanks!

I really like the P90X3 diet program and am used to keeping track of my macro nutrients. Can I keep this same diet plan while doing Insanity Max 30? It seems to me that the Insanity diet is a little more difficult to keep track of your macros.

@nixg you bet you can!! With the nutrition containers in Max 30, I decided to test it out and track them - it actually comes out to 30% / 40% / 30% so it is indeed the same which is awesome. Keep rocking what works best for your tracking and you'll be set!

@nixg CONGRATS and great job on completing P90X3. The visual changes that you noted are a great reason to be proud of what you have done.

I would recommend either a second round or something like INSANITY Max 30 to reduce body fat or Body Beast to add more muscles (keep in mind that Ed, who got fabulous results, did a few rounds). Check out the "What to do after P90X3" post here: http://sweetlifefitness.net/what-to-do-after-p90x3/

Hi I just wanted to throw my two cents in but as you lose weight your plan will change so if you start out on plan E cause your 220 lbs you will go to plan D once you get under 200 lbs and then plan C once you get under 180 lbs and so on....

@Michael_Roy you are right on - thanks for sharing this important tip! In fact, I wish the guide talked a bit more about that, or at least bolded it/pointed it out more. I recommend definitely doing this at least every 30 days within the program.

I have a job where im up at my feet and walking around most of the time . I go to the gym and run 4 miles 3X a week and also do weights with a trainer 2X a week but also doing p90x3 . Is this considered moderate or hardcore?

@rene salazar I would personally leave it as moderate. Where I dip into the "hardcore" mode is when you are literally going CRAZY for 8 hours straight, or more. For example, think about someone in construction that is out in the blazing heat not only sweating but lifting stuff, moving around, etc - that would fall more under the hardcore.

@jason180 Hey good question and thanks for stopping by. It can get a bit tricky, but what I would recommend is focusing on how much you are "Bringing It" in the workouts. If you are on the border of the B & C plan, if you are still building up your fitness and modifying a bit, focus on Plan B, but once your fitness starts improving, jump to Plan C. Why? Because as you get more fit, the added clean foods help you have more energy to push your body harder and continue to lose fat and keep muscle.

Think of it like a car: a crappy car doesn't need premium fuel (this is how my body started out...crappy). As I became a nicer car, I needed better fuel for the engine.

Hi i have a question i have not been having a good night sleep for two nights now and i missed my breakfast meals for two days what should i do should i have my breakfast meal when i wake up and or should i just continue with lunch because its so close ? please help really worried it will effect my workout strength .

@Ashraf Hey thanks for the comment. At the end of the day are you eating your calories and required macros in the above plans? I do recommend eating breakfast and spacing out your meals to keep your insulin level moderate (to help reduce body fat), but if you skip breakfast by accident or due to time, ensure you still get the required fuel in the tank so you can keep Bringing it!

@Jimmy Jeti great question, when you say 100-125%, what is that in milligrams on average? If you are using MyFitnessPal, check on the stats and it should tell you the total in mg (anywhere from 1000-2000mg, maybe more)?

hi coach i have a question,im plan c and in this plan i need 2100 calories per day,is it minimum number of calories that i need for a day?or i should have just 2100 calories for a day Neither morenor less,or its just my need for p90x3 excersing and i can have more calories for a day,but if i can have more calories and eat as usuall how can i lose weight?ty coach bob

@shayan good question, and definitely aim for 2100 calories as the top, but keep it around 1900-2100 calories each day. Don't go too low as that will negatively impact you, and too high won't help you lose weight. I always aim for about a 200 calorie window, and focus more on the lower calories on days of Yoga, Dynamix, and Rest, and 2100 calories for the other workouts.

Hi! I am just starting X3 and am supposed to be at Plan B. I am following the X3 nutrition guide as it instructs, but I've also been tracking in MyFitnessPal to make sure I stay on track--and it is very revealing as to how little protein and fat I'm getting. Apparently I have no problems eating fruits and veggies! ;) How in the world can I get more protein into my day!?!? I even use protein supplement/powder, and STILL can't even come CLOSE to that number?

@ShealynFeil I had the same issue in the past! No worries, that is normal. Some of the best sources of protein beyond the protein powder that you have are things like eggs, egg whites, grilled chicken breast, and burger (get the 95-98% lean type). As long as you are hitting your macros for the day, the calories should generally fall right into place.

I am on plan A and use MyFitnessPal extensively. If I burn more calories in addition to P90x3 from going for a walk or something, do I need to eat back those calories until I'm at a net of 1500 calories again?

@SBenson This is a great question. The nutrition guide is based on average lifestyles with the calorie burn of P90X3. So if you are walking around 1 mile+, or doing any other extreme exercising (running, lunging, etc, etc), I would definitely add those calories back in for net of 1500.

I am confused about what the numbers on the meal plan chart mean. I am plan B and my husband is plan F. Are the numbers the amount of portions? How big are the portions in order to meat the caloric needs? Thanks so much!!!

@ashleyhinson Thanks for stopping by! As far as the numbers, are you referring to the grams in the image above? If so, I would plug them into the MyFitnessPal app for the easiest use. (See: http://sweetlifefitness.net/how-to-use-myfitnesspal/) and use 30% protein / 40% carbs / 30% fats as I guide you through in the video on how to use the app.

As for the portions in the guide itself, those are based on the recommended portions to have throughout the day to regulate insulin to ensure good and steady weight loss. The best option that I have found successful is to focus on carbs in the beginning and middle of the day, and gradually aim for higher protein near the end of the day with minimal carbs if you can swing it.

Feel free to chat more with any other questions - your success is my goal!

@PhilKowalski Hey dude, sorry I don't fully understand what you mean by that, but if it is what I think: Carbs, proteins, AND fats - you need all three in the recommend 30%/40%/30% split as per the Nutrition Guide.

If I didn't get that right let me know and we'll get it answered. Thanks!

I'm starting P90x3 soon and was a little confused as to whether I qualify as sedentary or moderately active. I work a desk job, but I make a point to get up and walk around the office/outside for exercise "snacks" during the day and I also do cardio (HiiT or circuits with weights) for at least 40 minutes a day. Would appreciate the help! Thanks!

@DanielleWolfe1 Great job on starting X3 soon! Also, I think it's great that you make it a point to walk around the office instead of sitting sedentary (I need to do more of that too!). Since you also do HiiT and circuits daily, you would definitely fall into the moderate activity for sure. Keep me posted on your journey!

@Tsauce Yes that is fine to do. There has been a lot of research about the different eating periods (such as Intermittent Fasting). If you eat your 3 meals per day and meet your calories, proteins, carbs, and fats - you will be in a good position. Just be sure to plan ahead so you don't overshoot or sell yourself short on the daily needs.